Engine and method for improved crankcase fatigue strength with fracture-split main bearing caps

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides reduced fatigue stress levels in a stressed area of an engine crankcase by lowering the outer edges of the crankshaft bearing cap fracture-split lines without changing the central axis location of the crankshaft in the crankcase. This is accomplished by causing the fracture-split lines of the bearing caps to angle downward from the horizontal plane of the crankshaft axis to a slightly lower position at the outer edges of the bearing caps. This lowers the outer edges of the bearing caps sufficiently to allow larger radii to be formed on the lateral connectors of the crankcase support webs with the adjacent sidewalls of the crankcase. Accordingly, the fatigue stress levels in the crankcase web members are reduced without requiring a significant change in the crankcase dimensions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/174,051, filed on Jul. 16, 2008.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to engine block structure and particularly to the reduction of fatigue stresses in the crankcase web areas above fracture-split crankshaft bearing caps.

BACKGROUND

It is known in the art relating to engine crankcases that crankshaft support webs are required to absorb major stresses from the combustion and inertia loads developed in the engine cylinders and from the reciprocating and rotating masses connected to the crankshaft throws. To withstand these loads, engine crankcases and cylinder blocks may be formed as a single casting and machined with the crankshaft bearing caps in place. The bearing caps are then cracked off with a mandrel, leaving a generally horizontal split line of cracked surfaces at which the bearing caps are reattached to the crankcase with bolts or studs.

To minimize stresses, joining of the support webs to crankcase sidewalls makes use of smoothly curved joints avoiding sharp angles which would introduce stress risers. These joints begin above the split line for the bearing caps, which may limit the space available for larger stress reducing radii in the support webs themselves. Such a problem was presented when it was desired to increase the fatigue strength of an already completed crankcase design without changing the basic crankcase dimensions.

SUMMARY

The present invention solves the problem presented by lowering the outer edges of the crankshaft bearing cap split line without changing the central axis location of the crankshaft in the crankcase. This is accomplished by causing the split lines of the bearing caps to angle downward from the horizontal plane of the crankshaft axis to a slightly lower position at the outer edges of the bearing caps. This lowers the outer edges of the bearing caps sufficiently to allow larger radii to be formed on the lateral connectors of the crankcase support webs with the adjacent sidewalls of the crankcase. Accordingly, the fatigue stress levels in the crankcase web members are reduced without requiring a significant change in the crankcase dimensions.

The ability to make the needed design change required assurance that the crankcase supplier can indeed crack off the crankcase bearing caps within a predetermined tolerance that assures an adequate slope of the bearing cap split lines. The bearing caps are cast and machined as part of a one-piece crankcase assembly. Two notches are created in the horizontal plane at the inside bearing bore diameter 180 degrees apart. These serve as crack initiators for the fracture splitting process. The bearing caps are then fracture-split from the cast assembly by an expanding mandrel inserted through the main bearing bore from one end of the block. The crack angle or direction as it travels away from the initiation notch is influenced by changing the shape of the expansion mandrel, specifically the shape of the contact points which touch and apply load to the inside of the bearing bore. The expansion shapes are controlled to a close tolerance and are correlated back to a corresponding crack angle range.

As the crack path is purposefully angled downward on each side, the crack path is directed away from highly-stressed areas, allowing these areas to be increased in size to reduce their stress concentration. The invention resides in the concept of purposefully directing the crack angle downward on each side to enable a larger, stronger cross-section. The larger section would be impossible to achieve without the directed crack angle. Manufacture of the crankcase members in this manner allows the design change of the slightly larger radius for the junction of the web to outer wall radii that provides the improved fatigue stress for the crankcase.

It should be noted that the terms crack-split and fracture-split and other similar pairs of terms are used interchangeably in the specification and claims and are considered to have the same meanings.

The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a low angle pictorial view of an engine block directed toward the crankcase structure with multiple crankshaft support web walls extending between sidewalls and including crack-split separable bearing caps.

FIG. 2 an end view of the engine block directed toward the crankshaft bearing support area.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a web wall lower portion with attached bearing cap showing the nominal slope of the bearing cap crack-split lines.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the support area comparing the previous flat crack line with the downwardly angled crack line and increased blend radius of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings in detail, numeral 10 generally indicates an outline view of an exemplary internal combustion engine having a cylinder block 12 in which pertinent details of the structure in a lower portion of the engine crankcase 14 are disclosed. The lower crankcase 14 includes a pair of generally parallel longitudinally extending sidewalls 16 having a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending web walls 18 including upper portions 20 that are attached to the sidewalls 16 by load carrying lateral connectors 22. To minimize fatigue stresses, the connectors are provided with substantial blend radii 24 connecting the upper portions 20 of the web walls 18 with the sidewalls 16.

In manufacture, the engine cylinder block 12 is cast and machined to finished dimensions as a one piece assembly. Machining includes boring of crankshaft bearing bores 26 aligned on an axis 28 in the lower portions of the web walls 18. After machining, the crankshaft main bearing caps 30 are removed from the remaining upper portions 20 of the web walls 18 by crack or fracture-splitting the bearing bores 26 beginning at notches 32 cut on opposite sides of the bores 26 in alignment with a horizontal plane 34 through the axis 28 and splitting the caps 30 from the web walls 18.

In accordance with prior technology, it has been conventional to crack-split caps 30 along split lines 36 maintained nominally in the horizontal plane 34 through the longitudinal axis 28 of the aligned crankshaft bearing bores 26, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

However, in accordance with the present invention, the crack-splitting step was modified, by proper shaping of a splitting mandrel, so that the resulting crack-split lines 38, beginning at the notches 32 in the horizontal plane 34 of the bearing bore axis 28, are sloped downward from the central notches 32 toward outer edges 40 of the bearing caps 42. This change accomplishes a desired result in that the outer edges 40 of the new bearing caps 42 are made shorter and the mating outer edges 44 of the modified upper portions 46 of the web walls 18 are made longer so that a larger blend radius 48 may be applied to the lateral connectors 50, providing the high stress areas of the lateral connectors with a reduction in fatigue stresses and the ability to carry higher loads than with the prior configuration bearing cap split lines.

For the sake of clarity, it is noted that the split lines of crack-split bearing caps and other products have rough surfaces and are not necessarily straight lines, however, it is not necessary for perfectly straight split lines to be formed in order to obtain the benefits of the present invention. It is only necessary that the split surfaces be sufficiently accurate to meet reasonable tolerances to obtain the benefits of the reduced fatigue stresses made possible by the modified design.

The detailed description and the drawings or figures are supportive and descriptive of the invention, but the scope of the invention is defined solely by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed invention have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the invention defined in the appended claims. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder block cast and machined with a plurality of crankshaft bearing caps as a single one-piece assembly to include: a pair of generally parallel longitudinally extending sidewalls defining a lower crankcase therebetween; a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending web walls, with each web wall having an upper portion attached to the pair of sidewalls by a lateral connector, and a lower portion; and a plurality of crankshaft bearing bores aligned on a crankshaft bore axis and extending through the lower portion of each of the web walls; wherein the crankshaft bore axis is disposed on a horizontal plane bisecting the crankshaft bearing bores and extending between the sidewalls; wherein the lower crankcase extends upward beyond the horizontal plane; and a plurality of blend radii, with each blend radii connecting the upper portion of one of the web walls with one of the lateral connectors; wherein the plurality of bearing caps are fracture split from each of the web walls along a downwardly sloping fracture-split line initiated at opposite sides of the crankshaft bearing bores on the horizontal plane, and extending downward at a predetermined angle to outer edges of the bearing caps disposed below the horizontal plane to increase the radius of each of the blend radii; and wherein each of the blend radii extend from a location at the outer edge of one of the bearing caps disposed below the horizontal plane to the adjacent lateral connector disposed above the horizontal plane.
 2. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fracture-split lines are initiated at notches formed in the horizontal plane on opposite sides of the crankshaft bores.
 3. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 wherein predetermined angles of the fracture split-lines are maintained within a fixed tolerance established to assure consistency of the improved fatigue strength of the critical areas.
 4. A cylinder block for an internal combustion engine, the cylinder block comprising: a pair of generally parallel longitudinally extending sidewalls defining a lower crankcase therebetween; a plurality of longitudinally spaced laterally extending web walls, with each web wall having an upper portion attached to the pair of sidewalls by a lateral connector, and a lower portion; a plurality of crankshaft bearing bores aligned on a crankshaft bore axis and extending through the lower portion of each of the web walls, wherein the crankshaft bore axis is disposed on a horizontal plane bisecting the crankshaft bearing bores and extending between the sidewalls, and wherein the lower crankcase extends upward beyond the horizontal plane; a plurality of blend radii, with each blend radii connecting the upper portion of one of the web walls with one of the lateral connectors; and a plurality of bearing caps fracture split from each of the web walls along a downwardly sloping fracture-split line initiated at opposite sides of the crankshaft bearing bores on the horizontal plane, wherein the fracture-split line extends downward at a predetermined angle to outer edges of the bearing caps disposed below the horizontal plane to increase the radius of each of the blend radii; wherein each of the blend radii extend from a location at the outer edge of one of the bearing caps disposed below the horizontal plane to the adjacent lateral connector disposed above the horizontal plane.
 5. A cylinder block as set forth in claim 4 wherein the fracture-split lines are initiated at notches formed in a horizontal plane on opposite sides of the crankshaft bores.
 6. A cylinder block as set forth in claim 4 wherein predetermined angles of the fracture-split lines are maintained within a fixed tolerance established to assure consistency of the improved fatigue strength of the critical areas. 